Flexible expansion coupling for rotary shafts



/4 .VE/V 70K W. ROBERTSON.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 5, I92I.

Patented Feb. 21, 1922.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I- I III III III II+IIIIIIIIIIIII|IIIIII -FLEX|BLE EXPANSION COUPLING FOR ROTARY SHAFTS.

I I I .22:1-

1 I I l W. ROBERTSON.

FLEXIBLE EXPANSION COUPLING FOR ROTARY SHAFTS;

/ APPLICATION FILED MAR.5,1921- 2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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"Tb allwfi m it c m c 513s it'known that Wi'uIAM ROBERTSON, of

233'" Langlends' Roa'd,""Goyan, Glasgow,

f$iqtlaind1 i sfibje' ct b'f thefKing if Great Britain; has invented,- 'a, certain new and V fus'eful ,Improyed Flexible Expgnsim Coup ine 's a sp ifica on.

This invention rel tesjto What arefknown as flexible expansion couplings fpr uniting shafts which are, out, (if 15x131 alignment or which 'atliefliztble to "b'G O lQ idislalign d' under nr n e l i ne nd is: m v

ment in rorfxnodificetion of. .the invention LUIS: LetteI'sQPatentNQ 57 dated 9th In the speeificat'ion of the prior Letters Patent .afeltesaid is describednnd claimed, a

"coupling. comprising tw jeint s, one for the (lrivir lg end one f'for' fthe; (iriven Shaft, both located within a; sleeve coupling, end eajc'h comprising coaeti'ng I spherically" curved boss, seeket; keys and fulcrum blocks (or equivalent)" Within which pins on the socket keys ca limit, the fulcrum bloeks '(or jnated. V v n V 'fPre fer'ably each pair pf diametrically 0pequiyalem "being fitted in 'the sleeve'ceuptor thefulcrum blocks and the external sleeve coupling. Such, friction between the socket. keys and thefulcrum blocks as may be due tocht'rifugal force is also 'therebyjelimt' posite and identicallysiniilensqcket keys is ceuplecl bye tie belt or equivalent so that any' tendency of the one t9 'm ve outwards; under centrifugal action, is counteracted the s ame'tendency of the other end as the centrifugal force acting on the keys is equal and in Opposite" directions the fkeys erej' consequently"balanced, A clear.

m y. so b o tpl 1 0% th a 9 mI' ee QHPIm con a ordan e, w th i hef nn a d firior patent fend embodying dflfihl llm i s pecifieation10fLetters:Patent v Pate pied Feb, 121-,- 19.22, epp llce tlen filed lgleteh5, l921 lserial lietfi igfit'gl l I anc pacej s f betw en he z lsll s th cse ket ZkeYS an th f fum 'b' ifiik i that "an sl h Qu wa'lrd i em t 9f th the tie boltjgshan' not be tomifiuni altiedg h rebl g e v c 7 j In s me ca esj he p ii s off flilcrnin'blqdks "T e e m eny ng' m gii il th the n, he i ei' 'i2, F g-"l; end-F sectionel de'tail of a modification; dfa are th ve sor the-driven; r w

AccOmling t0 sqcket' keys e. In order to admit ef the necessary angular movement ,offthe shafts a and bosses b the bolts al ef madeanjeas'y jfi in th a ig e el es and e wh. bol ape some ha mm .m x ms j feen ral cylindrical pbrtign 7 to a minimum jet the head 8 end nut 9 which ene adaptetl fit f stretesi by F g 1 l u comp sit lnnginl inalts 'qn, th upper alf 011 116" 'Iii 3 '-1 ij' lower h'elf to the left e7thevertid l e, 01 h l ne. elf-1T an 0 t e irlght 1 f the vert ca n 'rel ine' 0n the fl efl elifl of g- 2 whi h'i t. uafi ver w im 3 s a r the fulcrum blocks and eeu'sjjea'heaijnglptd 7 p etors 'gme t l" qs ii w n dfelt Ifi li nat kI YWeY T. c t

he sQckQ keys; n :f; f; t dia ly'prb-' 4 je i Pi 'ythe 19, mi thef' "b c s a ng" oles 7, 1; the n fifths? r61- 7? nd i is t i lcyl ili- V7. c u i I the term of the present invention"illustratecl the pairs" of dienietflc l y oppee fi ocke key mezc p edxby tie bolts 3 which ass through alignecl'heles 50 keys due to elengatienfunden itensiemhqf keys 6. The head 9 is, after adjustment, secured in place by a grub screw 11. Clearance spaces 15 are left between the shoulder of the socket keys 6 and the fulcrum blocks 9 these spaces being sufficient to allow for any slight elongation of the tie bolts-under the load (due to centrifugal force) put upon them'by thesocket keys;

T0 admit of adequate lubrication of working parts oilways or channels are, or

may be, formed therein and recesses 12 are formed in the inner faces'of the socket keys 6 which communicate directly or by suitable ducts, suchas 13,'with the bearing-surfaces 1 of the bosses 7), socket keys e, fulcrum blocks g and sleeve iand with oil inlets 14' in the bosses b. Oil is fed outwards from the recesses 12 to all bearing surfaces by centrifugal force.

7 If so desired the pairs of fulcrum blocks may also be coupled together by the'tie bolts, this being preferably effected by keying the socket keys and fulcrum blocks together as, for instance, by providing shoulders 16 and 17 on the pins 7 and fulcrum blocks respectively, and securing same together, when in operative position, .bya ring'18 screwed or otherwise secured to the pin f,as illustrated by Fig. 8.

Havingnow fully described my invention what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patentis: l

1. flexible expansion coupling for rotary shafts comprising a sleeve and two joints, one for the driving and one "for the driven shaft, located in said sleeve and operatively connected therewith, each joint comprising co-acting spherically curved boss, socket keys, fulcrum blocks and means for preventing outward pressure of the socket keys due to centrifugal force being transmitted to the fulcrum blocks and sleeve.

2. A flexible expansion coupling for rotary shafts comprising a sleeve and two 'joints, .one for the driving and one for the driven shaft, located in said sleeve and operatively connected therewith, each joint socket keys together.

4. A flexible expansion coupling forrotary shafts comprising a sleeve andtwo joints, one for the driving and one for the drivenshaft, located in said sleeve and operativjely connected therewith, each joint comprising co-acting spherically curved boss, a

pair of diametrically opposite socket keys,

fulcrum blocks and a tie bolt connecting said socket keys.

5. A flexible expansion coupling for rotary shafts comprising a sleeve and two joints, one for the driving and one for the driven shaft, located therein, each joint comprising aboss having keywaysthereimsocket keys engagin said keyways, apin on each socket key, fulcrum blocks engaging said pins and the aforesaid sleeve and ties connecting said socket keys to prevent the outward pressure of same, due to centrifugal force, "being transmitted to the fulcrum blocks and sleeve.

6. Afiexible expansion coupling for rotary shafts comprising a sleeve and two joints, one, for the driviiigand one for the driven. shaft located in said sleeve and operatively connected therewith, each joint com prising a boss having;arcuate keywaystherein, socket keys engaging. said keyways, a pin on each socket key, fulcrum blocks engaging said pins' and permitting angular movement thereof and tie bolts connectingsaid socket keys,

7. A flexible expansion"coupling for rotary shafts comprising "a sleeve and two joints, one forc the driving and one for the driven shaft, located in said sleeve and op'e'ratively connected therewith, each joint comprising a boss,.oppositely disposed socket keys and fulcrum blooks'and tie means unit-- ing the oppositely disposedsocket keys.

8. A flexible expansion 'couplingffor r0- tary shafts comprising a sleeve and two joints, one for the driving and one for the driven shaft, located in said sleeve and each comprising a sphero-segmental boss'having guides therein, socket keys engaging said guides and slidable therein, pins on 1 said socket keys, fulcrum blocks engaging said sleeve, and pins and permitting rotational movement offthe latter and a tie uniting said socket keys.

9. A flexible expansion coupling forro- .tar shafts com risin a sleeve and two joints, one for the driving and ,one forthe driven shaft, locatedtherein and operatively connected therewith, each joint comprlslng co-acting spherically curved boss,

socket keys, fulcrum blocks, means prevent-' ing relative radial movement of socket keys and fulcrum blocks and means preventing outward pressure of the socket keys and fulcrum blocks, due to centrifugal force,'being transmitted to the sleeve. I

10. A flexible expansion coupling for ro tary shafts comprising a sleeve and two joints, one for the driving and one for the driven shaft, located therein and operatively connected therewith, each joint comprising oo-acting boss, socket keys and fulcrum blocks, the two former having aligned holes in said sleeve having arcuate guideways WILLIAM therein, and a tie bolt in said holes connectin the guideways in saidsleeve and a tie bolt 10 ing said socket keys. passing through said boss and socket keys 7 11.- A flexible expansion coupling for roand uniting the latter. 7 I V tary shafts comprising a sleeve having In testimony whereof I afiix lily-signature guideways therein, a sphero-se-gmental boss in presence of two witnesses. i

ROBERTSON. therein, socket keys slldable in said arcuate Witnesses: a guideways, pins on said socket keys, ful- 7 JOHN SToTT,

crum blocks engaging said pins and slidable J AMES DUNLOP. 7 

